


A Present for A Pirate

by NattyWright



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-27
Updated: 2015-08-27
Packaged: 2018-04-17 14:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4669463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NattyWright/pseuds/NattyWright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Isabela's name day and Merrill is desperate to find her a good enough present. A silly little one-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Present for A Pirate

A wall of stink hit Merrill hard as she entered the Hanged Man. Stale ale and drunken men created a smell like no other and Merrill had to lift her forest-green scarf over her mouth as she walked through the seating area.

Varric had a room at the top of stairs and it was still early enough that Hawke wouldn't have come find him, yet.

Hawke was a lovely woman, always looking after Merrill when she got lost, as often as that was, but, Creators, did she like to sleep. Especially now, she was living on her own estate, and not Gamlen's hovel.

Nevertheless, as lovely as she was, she wasn't important to the elf right now.

The pirate was the only person on Merrill's mind now, well and Varric, but only because she knew he could help.

Jasmine hit her nose as she walked through the threshold of his room, he had begun to hang it after a comment she made about it being the scent that the Keeper used in her aravel. She never bothered to knock, the dwarf wouldn't care and encouraged her to come to him whenever.

"Varric?" She called out across the cavernous expanse before her. The table alone would have been able to fit most of her clan around it, and it was all for the dwarf. "Varric, are you here?"

"Daisy!" A grumble rang out from her right, from Varric's bedroom. "Tell me you didn't get lost again, you've still got your string, right?"

"Oh, I left it at home, I don't need it to get to The Hanged Man anymore." The elf sat herself down at the head of the table, and for a moment felt like Varric, but it was short lived as the dwarf entered the room.

"Take it with you next time, Daisy, just in case." He sat beside Merrill and smiled warmly at her, "But I'm sure you didn't come here to talk about string, how can I help?"

"Well, erm," Merrill spluttered as a blush spread across her cheeks. "It's Bela's name day and I was going to get her a parrot, you know like in your stories but I couldn't find one. Then I thought, hmm she might like a boat, but, Creators, first they laughed me away because I was an elf, then because I had no money. So then I thought I could make her a hat but it just collapsed when I tried it on my head."

"You know, Daisy," Varric rumbled beside her as he placed an arm around her. "I am sure I saw a little ship in a bottle in the market the other day. If you have the coin, we can go and look. If not, we can still go and look and I'll buy."

The dwarf's arm left her shoulder and hooked her arm as he pulled her to her feet.

It didn't take them long to make their way to the market square, and with Varric's help they didn't get lost. The dwarf guided her towards a long queue of people, all waiting at the same stall, but Varric merely walked past them and coughed for attention.

"Varric!" The stall owner's long hair flowed past his shoulders as he looked down at the dwarf. His accent betrayed his Orlesian origin, but his scorn showed he wasn't too happy to see Varric. "Long time no see, what do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend, Ren?" Varric grumbled, all good humour of course but still a grumble it was, "I have business with you, unfortunately for us both. My friend here would like to buy that ship bottle you had earlier. Don't bother lying and saying you don't have it, I'm merchant guild, I know everything."

"Well, Varric, if you knew everything, you'd know that I'd already sold it. To another friend of yours, that Ferelden dog with the blood across her nose." If Ren's smile grew any wider, Merrill couldn't see how it wouldn't split his face in two. He was so pleased with himself. "So, your spies aren't as good as you think. Run along now, Varric, I have paying customers waiting."

The crowd began to surge around the pair, enveloping them as they rushed Ren eager to buy items. Before Merrill could do anything, the group had separated her from the dwarf and she was lost in a sea of people.

Various curses were hurled at her as she pushed through them, desperate to find Varric but alas, he was nowhere to be found. She was lost, alone and surrounded by humans.

With a gulp, she forced her way out of the crowd, finding herself in some dark alleyway, alone, fortunately. Creators, she had no idea where she was or how to get back to the alienage and experience had shown her how fruitless it would be to ask for directions from anyone. A human would at best ignore her, at worst attack her and she had left her staff at home leaving her defenceless. A dwarf would treat her the same as the humans, but an elf would usually call her an idiot for getting lost. She had the same ears, but her face gave away her Dalish origins and as hard as she tried, she could never be one of them.

She hugged herself as she picked a direction to walk in, hoping beyond all hope that it would lead to somewhere at least a bit familiar. Three years had not been nearly enough time to learn these streets, so different from the trees of her youth. The city was a maze and she had no guide to help her find her way.

Another turn and she found herself wandering into what seemed to be lowtown, perhaps she was finally close to The Hanged Man but as she turned another corner her heart sank and fear took her.

A group of rowdy men stood in the middle of the street, drunk and lust in their eyes as they spotted her.

"Look, lads, a knife ear has stumbled into our paths, a gift from the Maker himself." One, seemingly the leader laughed. He stepped in front of the others as he stared down at her. A scar reached over his left eye and combined with how he was looking at Merrill, she couldn't stop her arms from shaking.

"Stay back, I'm warning you," Her threat sounded false to her own ears, never mind the human's, and they began to laugh as she backed away.

"Oh, you're warning me? Well, I'm warning you, come closer or there will be trouble."

"Too right there will," A voice rang out from behind Merrill. Salvation! She recognised this voice, Mythal must have been looking out for her. It was her pirate, her beautiful, brave pirate come to save her. "Stay the fuck away, boys, or I can't promise what I'll do."

She stepped past Merrill with a sly wink, and the elf couldn't help but smile as Isabela drew her twin daggers.

"You want some of us as well do you, bitch? Fine." The leader growled as the group rushed Isabela. Merrill suppressed a scream as the first swung a mighty sword at the pirate, but Isabela was too quick, darting past it and slicing at the man's neck as she spun around him.

The next roared, no doubt some scream for his fallen friend, but he was just as talented as the first and Isabela had no trouble killing him.

"You'll pay for that, you bitch." The last two circled her before one rushed behind her and grabbed her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground. However, it was Isabela's first fight, not by a long shot, and she had fought off more men whilst more drunk and this was nothing.

She swung her head back, crashing it into her assailant's nose, and as blood spurted out, he dropped her, just in time for his friend to attack. Bela fell below the swing and rolled out of the way as he continued past her, slicing into his ally.

One left, and he was as cocky as he was clueless. Somehow, he still believed he had the advantage and Merrill couldn't help herself from laughing as he fruitlessly swung time and time again to try and hit Isabela.

It didn't take long for Isabela to end him as well and she was soon by Merrill's side, checking her out for injury.

"Kitten, what are you doing here?" The pirate's voice was thick with worry as she enveloped Merrill in a tight hug. Butterflies flew around Merrill's stomach and she couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks and to her ears.

"I was with Varric, but I lost him, and myself it seems. How do I always do that?" Bela released her but kept her hands on Merrill's shoulder. Her brown eyes met Merrill's emeralds and the elf had to force herself from getting lost once again. "I'm glad to see you though, Bela. I hope you've had a good name day." She couldn't help herself and before she could feel shocked at her own forwardness, she leant forward and planted a soft kiss on the pirate's lips.

"It's certainly good now," Isabela smirked, letting her hands drop to hold Merrill's. "Come on, let's get my kitten home before she can get lost. Again."

Merrill let herself be dragged, again, in the direction she came from, her blush still stuck on her face and accompanying the broad smile that was plastered there. She was finally safe, and with her excellent pirate.

It didn't take too long to find themselves back in the alienage and Merrill had never been so glad to see a tree, especially this tree. She couldn't help herself from rushing forward and pulling Isabela towards her house. "Come on, I'll make us some tea and you can tell me all about your day."

"My day was boring, kitten, full of drink and drunk men. I'm sure yours was much more entertaining, tell me about your day instead?" Isabela purred as she walked through the door, though Merrill was convinced that word wasn't enough to describe how Bela travelled. Her hips swayed in such a hypnotic way, Merrill nearly forgot to move towards her fire. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she attempted to move like the pirate but instead fell flat on her face with a bang.

"Kitten?" Isabela was instantly at her side, pulling her to her feet in a gentle but firm manner. Her hands brushed off what little bits of dust and dirt had gathered on the elf's clothing before her eyes locked with Merrill's again. "Are you ok?"

The care in Bela's eyes melted Merrill's heart and she could feel tears forming behind her eyes. "Lethallan," She smiled, as one fell, instantly caught by one of Isabela's calloused fingers.

"Merrill, what's wrong?"

"Nothing at all, Bela, there never is when you're around." She felt herself drifting towards the pirate again and before she realised their lips had met again in a soft kiss. "Ma'arlath, Bela."

"I'm not sure I know what that means, Kitten." Merrill blushed but forced herself to speak.

"It means I love you, Isabela." The words left her mouth and Merrill could feel her face heat up even further as her blush spread.

"Andraste's tits." Isabela sighed and Merrill suddenly felt more foolish than ever. She had hoped that Isabela returned her feelings, how could she have been this stupid? Merrill was so boring and Isabela so exciting, she would never have loved her. "I swore I'd never feel this way again, love wasn't for me, couldn't be for me.

How could I have been so wrong? I thought if I locked my heart away it would set me free, make me stronger somehow if I didn't succumb to feelings. We haven't even done anything but kiss. Andraste's crusty old knickers, I was stupid." Isabela's hands squeezed the elf's shoulders and hope started to drift back into Merrill's heart. "You've made everything so complicated, Kitten, but I can't deny my feelings. I… I think I love you too."

A kiss happened before either realised and Merrill lost herself in the feeling, the taste of her, definitely her, pirate. She may not have gotten a present for her lover, but somehow she knew this would do.

 


End file.
